(Apologies to Forrest, but it seems to fit here.)
Comparison:
“Does the G.O.P. still support democracy? Or is it now Trump’s sock puppet—an authoritarian populist movement eager to run roughshod over anyone or anything that gets in its way, including the votes that eighty-one million Americans cast for Biden?”
“Puppet” of course has long been used as a negative aspersion to describe either individuals or groups that lack control, but putting “sock” in front of puppet suggests an even less sophisticated version of someone having no control over their actions. And not having control—well that just seems downright un-American.
Context:
“But Trump’s return to the headlines is an important development because it shifts some of the focus back to the G.O.P. and highlights the simple but defining question that the Party cannot avoid, as much as the Republican leaders McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, may want to. Does the G.O.P. still support democracy? Or is it now Trump’s sock puppet—an authoritarian populist movement eager to run roughshod over anyone or anything that gets in its way, including the votes that eighty-one million Americans cast for Biden?”
Cassidy, John. “Will Trump’s Obsession with His Big Lie Save Biden and the Democrats?” New Yorker, 07 Feb. 2022. Web.
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